India’s first indigenous bomber UAV unveiled in Bengaluru

Flying Wedge Defence, a leading player in India’s defence and aerospace tech, recently revealed India’s inaugural indigenous bomber UAV aircraft, the FWD-200B. This unveiling marks a significant step towards diminishing India’s dependency on expensive imported unmanned bomber aircraft and bolstering the Make in India campaign.

The company’s objective is to establish India as a prominent drone manufacturing and technology center globally. This initiative is aimed at empowering India with advanced air defence capabilities, ultimately fortifying national security.

Suhas Tejaskanda, the founder of Flying Wedge Defence & Aerospace, expressed “For over 15 years, India’s pursuit of combat unmanned aircraft remained a distant dream. With the launch of the FWD-200B, India not only fulfils this dream but also joins the league of nations with advanced combat aircraft capabilities.” He further added 

“While the US Predator costs a staggering Rs 250 crores, our indigenous FWD-200B, built with state-of-the-art technology and manufactured in India, slashes the cost to a mere Rs 25 crores. This not only demonstrates our commitment to self-reliance but also positions India as a leader in cost-effective defence solutions”

The advanced manufacturing facility of Flying Wedge Defence, spanning over 12,000 square feet and situated on a 1.5-acre plot in Electronic City, was the meticulous site where the FWD-200B was meticulously crafted.

The FWD-200B is categorized as a MALE Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (medium-altitude, long-endurance) with a payload capacity of 100 kgs. It is equipped with optical surveillance payloads and is designed to carry missile-like weapons for precise air strikes. Operating at a maximum speed of 200 knots or 370 kilometers per hour, it boasts an impressive endurance capacity of 12 to 20 hours. The company stated, “The FWD-200B can carry a maximum takeoff weight of 498 Kgs in addition to this, it holds a ground control station (GCS) range of 200 kms.”

Tejaskanda further said, “By the next three months, we should be able to get it to the Centre for Military Airworthiness & Certification (CEMILAC) and get the certification done. Once the certification is done we will be ready to induct this into the forces. Our aim is to sell it to other countries like African and South East Asian countries as well which cannot $32 billion Predator UAVs but can buy $3 billion Indian products.”

He further mentioned that the flight tests for the full-scale model of the FWD-200B are scheduled for later this month. Following that, the company plans to thoroughly observe and analyse the flight dynamics and behaviour of the aircraft next month.

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